Sunday, 6 December 2015

Last Sunday I posted this Rhyl railway photo taken we know not when (not very recently). On the far right there is a street. The question: What is the name of the street?The answer: West Kinmel Street.Also posted was the following plaque inscribed Glan Dyffryn photographed a few days before by Yours Truly. The question: What is the name of the street?The answer: West Kinmel Street. Again!

Glan Dyffryn translates as Clean Valley. The plaque is opposite the car park of West Rhyl Primary Care Centre (the new Clarence House) which must be one of Rhyl's ugliest buildings.

--Scoring 1 win for each correct answer: Richard & Ceri Swinney 2, Dilys Bagnall 1, Jane Shuttle 2, The Great Gareth 2, Sue Handley 2.In this second series of the quiz, Gareth holds the lead with 58 wins, Jane has 52, Richard & Ceri have 49, Sue 37 and Dilys 21. All these scores are above-average. Everybody is welcome to join in. We have quite a few occasional players!--

Thursday, 3 December 2015

Last night, at the same time as a big majority of Members of Parliament were saying yes to airstrikes on Syria, the Daily Post’s online opinion poll of readers stood as follows:

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During the 1970s I was living in London when Irish republican groups were leaving bombs in public places including the Underground. It was a very scary time and went on for years.

Those groups did not attack Wales – they knew we had no power to bring about the changes they wanted. The political wing of the republicans, Sinn Féin, is now part of government in both parts of Ireland.

In the short term, last night’s decision in Parliament will surely provoke IS. Hopefully they too will see that the UK power base is in England and leave us alone.

Wednesday, 2 December 2015

How about badges for the anorak? Here we have a Rhyl Scooter Club Rally, Rhyl & District Angling Association, Rhyl Football Club aka 'The Lilywhites', Rhyl F.C. Supporters' Association (RSA) and couple of rarities: one from Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru the Welsh National Eisteddfod in Rhyl 1953, and an old badge showing Rhyl Pavilion:

--This Rhyl crested Norwegian-style beer bowl with a horse's head at each end seems a perfect present for people that don't know whether they are coming or going:

No? Well, how about a Rhylephant?

And for that really special someone - nudge nudge - what could be more agreeable than an old slotmachine manufactured by Parkers Automatic Supplies of Rhyl?

Click on the machine to see in the background a drawing incorporating elements of Marine Lake and Ocean Beach Fun Fairs with name checks for Billy Williams, Arthur (who's he?) and the Webbers.That dates it as 1950s/60s even though the art deco style suggests that the cabinet may have been made a couple of decades earlier. Arcade and fun fair items are subject to recycling from time to time.

Tuesday, 1 December 2015

The Royal Alexandra Hospital, Marine Drive, Rhyl has cropped up a few times in this blog. You would find the previous references and pictures under the label HOSPITALS on your left at the top of this page.

The image above showing an operating theatre is dated circa 1908 (more likely before that date than after). Note the small size of the operating table - at that time The Alex was a children's hospital.

On the mantelpiece the bottle nearest to the camera is labelled Carbolic 1 in 20, and the one in the middle is Boracic. These were antiseptics.

At that time electric lighting would have been unlikely. The fireplace seems to be tiled over, and there is no visible form of heating. The nurse is well wrapped up!

[Generally, it was believed that cool temperatures were more beneficial.]

Above: the building is shown without its east wing which was added in 1908. The presence of the town crest bottom right leads me to believe this may be the first ever postcard of The Alex, commemorating the official opening in 1902.